Mountain Might

For the soft adventurers, the prospect of climbing, rock repelling and trekking in mountainous terrain of Northern Pakistan can thrilling as well as daunting. Compared to a backpacking in and around Murree or bush walking in Cholistan, exploring high hills in northern Pakistan is an altogether different experience. Rather than jumping into the wilderness to get away from it all, you walk into thinly populated countryside free from roads and modern day civic amenities.

Mountain villages are caught in a time warp, their terraced fields stacked up huge hillsides. The paths are timeless caravan routes, trails between villages or tracks to high grazing pastures. It is an incredibly beautiful natural world. Only higher up in the alpine valleys are the villages left behind, to be replaced by herder's hutsand higher still, the ice castles of the lofty mountains.

Now consider this; on every side rise up ten of the world's thirty highest peaks. As graphic in names they are foreboding in majesty, the Himalaya translate as "The Abode of the Snows", The Karakoram, the "Black gravel Mountains", and the Hindu Kush, "The Slayer of Indians", the Pamir Knot and the Kun Lun joining in at what is called the Roof of the World. Where these six ranges merge in is a wide swathe. This area is the most impressive mountain landscape in the world. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1,000 meters to 8, 000 meters, the regions of Gilgit, Hunza and Baltistan recall Shangri-La and Tirich Mir or Broghal in district Chitral. Among these magnificent peaks one finds the largest glaciers outside the Polar Regions. Which is why the Northern Areas are is mountaineers' paradise?

There are challenges for the less savvy; the first is the physical effort required. Accompanying the inspiring low mountains are huge hills, some of which must be climbed to move ahead (most can be bypassed through longer route though). Although hopefully lightly laden, hill-climbing still means plenty of heavy breathing and sweat. Pleasure still can be had from frequent rests; admiring the scenery which, even after a mere 10 minutes uphill battle, alters satisfyingly and often dramatically. Take comfort too in the frequent teahouses which are often strategically placed. Or look for the pony walls that may be following behind.

That said; adventurous Northern Pakistan is not only for the tough outdoorsy types. Like rucksacks and cameras, treks are available in all shapes and sizes. Trekking is physical but certainly not beyond the majority of people. Most important is one should have the will to enjoy the outdoor sport - grandest of all. Bring along a traveller's curiosity and a sense of seeing, ramble with an open mind and gentle heart, accept with grace and gratitude the diversity you encounter, and before you know it you will relish the thought of another trek.

The facilities in the hills may be better than that in Marco Polo's time, but the trails are the same. On the map each day's march looked pitifully short. In such country there is no monotony. Up to the ridge ahead or down to the next river there is always something to go for and something fresh to see.

Tags: Travel, Northern Areas, Pakistan

Travel Companion to the Northern Areas of Pakistan

Pakistan is a country with a beautiful and varied landscape and I am not being ethnocentric here. Tahir Jahangir proves that in his book titled "Travel Companion to the Northern Areas of Pakistan" and any body who goes up there can find this out for himself. The awe inspiring Northern Areas (as well as Chitral and Kashmir) offer every kind of heavenly beauty. Northern Pakistan is a land of contrasts, of surprises, a richly textured melting pot of diversity that leaves a vivid memory in the minds of every visitor, hiker or adventurer – only if the world knows it. The book tells the world what Northern Areas in Pakistan can offer.

Tahir Jahangir, an Economics graduate from University of Cambridge and a very successful industrialist of Pakistan is found of travelling and landscape photography. A book "Travel Companion to the Northern Areas of Pakistan" is his labour of love after countless 'to-ing and fro-ing to the Northern Areas – travellers' and explorers' paradise famous all over the world.

Northern Areas of Pakistan, spread over 72,496 square kilometres are fascinating. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1,000 meters to 8, 000 meters, the regions of Gilgit and Hunza, Nanga Parbat Treks, Swat and Kaghan Valleys recall Shangri-La. Tahir Jahangir also covers Mansehra Valley and Guallies, Neelam Valley, Parachinar and Chitral.

Nowhere in the world is such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers, clean water lacks (full of trout and romantic legend attached to them) and passes except Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8,000 meters high peaks on our earth planet, four occupy an amphitheatre at the head of Baltoro glacier in the Karakorum Range: K-2 (world's second highest), Gasherbrum-I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum-II. There is yet another, which is equally great, Nanga Parbat, located at the western most corner of the Himalayas. In addition to that, there are 68 peaks over 7,000 meters and hundreds others over 6,000 meters. The Northern Pakistan has some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen, Hispar, Biafo, Baltoro (60 k kilometres) and Batura (64 k kilometres).

Where as the entire Northern Areas are magnificent but the Hunza valley is virtually the best -- rocky, desolate land transformed into an endless terraced garden and blooming gardens. Tahir Jahangir has been to most of these places and tells us through his words and explains them with the help of unique photographs and maps.

Let us pause for a second and visualise the scenario in the Northern Areas of Pakistan in the earlier centuries, when travellers, notably Fa Hian and Tsang Huang- both Chinese pilgrims, trotted along the "old silk route" crossing over the Hunza valley to enter into their destiny- the Gandhara regions, where it rained powder and rocks as they made their "pilgrimage" to these high places a "a great adventure". Tahir Jahangir's account recalls the past in the present context. He also adds cultural patterns of these regions, geography and other relevant information required by modern day travellers. That makes the book more than a mere travel guide book or just a travelogue.

Visitors find peace and solitude in this enchanting mountain kingdom. The valleys are a paradise for trekkers and mountain lovers. The treks in the glacial landscape of the upper valleys are a trekkers dream. A visit to this fairyland is a fantasy to be lived and relived as such places are rare and far between.